Runner's Update (O:

This morning I finished Day 2 of Week 4 of the Couch to 5K Training!! Whoot!! I definitely did not enjoy myself at all. But then, I started thinking (while counting IN 2 3 4, OUT 2 3 4 in my head) that exercise shouldn't be enjoyable. If I am feeling good and am not struggling at least a little bit, that means I am not pusing myself. I understand that some people actually enjoy this sort of misery (I call it self torture), but I am not one of those people. I do it because I need to. If 3 years ago you had told me I would gain 45 pounds between being lazy and having a baby, I could have punched you in the throat. But, that is where I am and so, here I go! (I am secretly hoping that you all went temporarily blind and couldn't read the number of pounds I just typed out...I cannot believe I did that...can I borrow the memory blipper from Men In Black, please??)

I know I do my fair amount of complaining about this whole running deal, but I am honestly getting to be somewhat proud of my self discipline. J told me a long time ago that he would help me with this...but seeing as I decided to get up before work (which means 4:30ish a.m.) to work out, he has since decided that I can probably do this on my own...(side note- I am a little bummed out that he hasn't been more encouraging of my efforts. I almost crave being told that he is proud of me. But, don't be mad at him- his mind is completely preoccupied with his current job, which he hates, his desperate hopes of trying to find a new job and also trying to finish school in the next 2 months...so I know it's not that he doesn't care, he just is going going going all day until he crashes at night.) *ahem* back to what I was saying...every time I finish a run, I feel like I have made a little accomplishment (yes, I still yell out VICTORY every time!) (O: I realized this morning that I don't really have anything that I do just for 'me', except for this. I have so many talented friends and family members in my life, and I have always been a little jealous of them. They have hobbies or things they enjoy doing and at the end of a project, they can see real live results. Before I started this training, I didn't have anything like that in my life. I like that with each finished run, it can be marked of the training sheet and I am one step closer to my end goal. It might not seem like much to you, especially if you are a routine exerciser. But, for me, right now, this is important and I am glad to be pushing forward!

Oh, and I can add another name to the list of people running the Gingerbreak 5K with me! I was telling my coworker last week about my training (I tell people bc it helps keep me accountable, I don't want to fail and have to admit it!). Well, she came into my office yesterday with the registration card in her hand! She said a friend of hers is doing it and told her about it. She told me that she figured since I was doing it, she would do it too! I feel like it is a revolution around here! Not that I think it is because of me, but maybe my decision is helping to spur on other people's decisions! If wasn't afraid of being called a complete dork (and because I wouldn't want anyone to be able to find me in the crowd on race day) I would say we should all get team shirts! I am thinking hot pink (shocker).... Luckily for me, my friend Jaime wouldn't allow this... (O:

In related news...I gave my blog friend Sonja some encouragement this morning about exercise and eating right...I told her that we should both commit to eating better because if we did, I might actually do it. I explained how my friend Jaime and I started the C25K training at the same time and the biggest thing keeping us both going is that we don't want to be the first to quit...so I figured this philosophy could hold strong with eating right too. SOOO, basically I am hoping she doesn't take me up on that...otherwise I'll have to exercise AND eat right and that is just TOO MUCH!! (haha)

Everyone here seems to be pretty crab-ay this morning...so I hope you are having a better mornig than they are! It's almost the weekend, woo hoo!! (O:

Oofta!

That's right, I said OOFTA! I know I have been a little MIA here lately and I apologize!

My mind has been spinning since this weekend. We found out some less-than-wonderful things about the daycare we have (had) Emilia in, so I have been completely preoccupied with trying to find a new one. Luckily, our friend, Elise (@elise is...content) has agreed to watch our little girl, in addition to her own 2 kids and one other little girl she was already watching. Woo hoo! No more stress about if Emilia is being neglected! She starts there on Monday and I am so relieved!!

Now that I am not completely consumed with that...I have moved on to our Halloween costumes for this weekend's Halloween Part-AAAY! (O: As we already know, Emilia is going to be a duck...so Jason is going to be a duck hunter and I am going to be a hunting dog. (haha). Hey, it beats being farmers! Plus, we already have everything I need for these costumes and I could not find ANY flannel or overalls at Goodwill! So, farmers are out and hunter&dog are in! (O:

I am up to week FOUR in the C25K and I am still somewhat in disbelief. Today was 5min brisk walk, jog 3 min, walk 1.5 min, jog 5 min, walk 2.5 min, jog 3 min, walk 1.5 min, jog 5 min, VICTORY! I had to do some serious praying this morning to get through it. I wanted to give up before I even started. I guess my mood was just off today. But, I have to agree with something I ready on another blog- her name is Lauren and her blog is LiveLaughLove (wish I had thought to use that...we LOVE that saying in the Warren household! I might switch mine to something similar! ...anyway...) She is 2 weeks ahead of me and it has been such an encouragement to read about her training. It shows me that I CAN keep going. Even when I feel like I have made an awful, AWFUL mistake, I can keep going. Anyway, a few posts ago, she said that she has realized she doesn't love the running part, but she loves the finishing part. That is SO ME!! I pretty must Hate the entire 25ish minutes of the actual running...but getting to the end and being able to shout victory is so great! It really is what keeps me going at this point.

Well, now work is over (ha). I'll save more for another day!

Have a great night all! (O:

Watching the clock...

Technically, that title is very uncreative and undescriptive because I could use it literally every. single. day. (Well, Monday through Friday anyway) But that is what I am sitting here doing...cleaning stuff off my desk for the week and gearing up for the weekend. We do not have too much going on, but enough to make me look forward to getting out of here.

I am getting off at 2:00 today (woo hoo) to take Emilia for her 6 month check-up (tear). I already have the Tylenol in my purse, to give her before we head over to the doctor's office. In case no one ever tells you, as no one told me, give your baby a dose of Tylenol before the doctor's appointment if she/he will be getting any shots. That way it can start kicking in before the horrible incident occurs.

I have been dreading today all week...I hate shots. I still get upset (and sometimes cry) when I know I have to get them and it is even worse when I know the pain will be inflicted on my little girl. The last time I took her, she just looked up at me in shock, like 'WHY did you let this happen to me???' It was awful. I cried, she cried. Awful. The next visit with shots, lucky for me, Jason took her. He did not cry, he was strong. But, he did tell me he felt really bad. Now it is my turn again and I am not looking forward to this. I am half minded to get a bottle ready and feed her while she is getting them...maybe she will be so distracte she won't be scarred for life. (Yes, I am dramatic. What else is new.)

After that, I am going to a Beth Moore podcast with my Momma at her church. I am really excited! I really enjoy hearing Beth Moore speak and I have been praying that I will be open to the messages she shares. It will also be some good time spent with my Momma. I do not see her very often (even though she only lives 20 minutes away) and I am always excited to squeeze time in with her whenever I can! The sessions are tonight and tomorrow morning. Wahoo!

Saturday afternoon is currently free and that would be exciting. Except I know it will be spent catching up on laundry and finishing the task of switching E's clothes from 3-6mos to 6-9/6-12 mos. We have been living out of the 6-9/6-12 month storage tub since last weekend and I am done with that. I am thinking that *maybe* I can convince J to take me to a movie that night...but we shall see. He almost refuses to go to the movies on the weekends because everyone is loud and rude and etc. (He is going to be one grumpy old man someday!) BUT, if I offer up something he wants to see, it might happen. *fingers crossed* (O:

Sunday morning will hopefully involve sleeping in a little before Day 3 of Week 3 of Couch to 5K! This week has been very encouraging. I was pretty nervous about the 3 minute runs, but they are not so bad. Yes, I am a sweaty, red puffy faced mess when I am done, but I am Doing It! Not breaks, no slowing down, no passing out. I decided this morning that I do not care how awful I look, as long as I am doing it. I am not completely dead, out of breath when I am done because I am keeping up with good breathing techniques. So, if my face is so splotchy red that it will scare small children and make newborn babies cry, that is OK. I just PRAY no one EVER has a camera near me after a run...that would be unfortunate for everyone involved.

Sunday evening, before The Edge is a friend's baby shower. I was in charge of (by self appointment, of course) getting the group organized and purchasing the gift. I think she will be pleased. The wrapping job is going to be pretty cute too, seeing as I had left over teal wrapping paper and brown ribbon with teal polka dots from my sister-in-law's shower...rock on! We have three boxes stacked on top of each other with a little lion toy, that I let Emilia pick out, on top. Cute cute cute. I just love baby showers and helping a new momma with the stuff she will really need! I remember my shower and how grateful I was to everyone for all the gifts, advice and love. It was truly overwhelming. I hope my friend's day is just as wonderful.

After The Edge, my weekend is over. (boo). BUT- the next weekend is Halloween!! I am *thinking* about doing some 'You've Been Boo'd' business at work next week for fun. At my old job we did this, but usually for the last 2 weeks before Halloween...so I am a little late. Oh well. It could still be fun! It will all depend on if I have enough time to go grab up some Halloween goodies before Monday! (O:

Have a great weekend friends! (O:

The one that did not make the cut...

I hereby dedicate this blog post to Emilia's 'runner up' Halloween costume, my personal favorite.

It, unfortunately, will not see the tricks or treats of Halloween night. We are going to a bonfire party at my friend Jaime's house that night and everyone is "HIGHLY encouraged" to dress up. This means, if you do not dress up, Jaime is going to be on your case all night and probably call you mean names. (I am not kidding...)

Now, I may or may not have mentioned this before on here, but my husband can tend to be a fuddy dud about these sorts of things...and had no intention of dressing up (he has thick skin and Jaime's taunts would do him no harm). But, he asked if our whole family unit would be dressing up to a theme, and I saw my "in". I told him I had two costumes for Emilia and if he could come up with a theme to go with one of them, we would do it. So, on Halloween night we are dressing up as the ever-so-creative farmers to go with Emilia's duck costume. (Apparently we are duck farmers, ha).

This means my favorite costume, the one I purchased for $3 on clearance when I was only a few months pregnant and did not even know my baby's gender yet, the most adorable idea ever, lost. My dreams have been crushed and I no longer have a reason to live. (OK, reality check- I am not actually this distraught over it, but I think it makes for a good, dramatic opening. I have to keep my audience guessing and on the edge of their seats...are you there yet?)

Well, since I do not get to dress up my little stinker in this cosutme for Halloween, I took last night as my opportunity to dress her up in the costume and take some pictures!

I will not keep you waiting any longer...

May I present to you, Emilia the Skunk! (O:

I tried to get some 'tail shots', but she is big into rolling right now and was all over the place! But, you still get the idea. (O:

Wishing for Colorado!

This morning's post is part of Kelsey @ The Seattle Smith's Wishful Wednesday series (O: Each week she posts a different topic and encourages everyone to share their wishes. This week's topic is 'I wish' .... I was going on vacation tomorrow, and I would want to go ______!

My answer, as made obvious by my title, is Colorado! It may not seem like anything glamorous to you, but if you know me outside of the bloggy world know this is my dream place. I spent 6 years of my childhood there and have been begging to go back ever since I was 8. Imagine growing up (ages 2-8) with a beautiful mountainous landscape in your backyard and then being shipped off (by the military) to Illinois, where nothing is abounding but cornfields. I literally cried when I realized there were no mountains. So, ever since then, I have wanted to go back.

My dream vacation would be to rent a log cabin up in the Rocky Mountains and hide away from the rest of the world for a while. I would, of course, bring my hubby and our daughter. We would spend lazy pajama days on the wrap around porch, sipping sweet tea, taking in the view and talking about anything and everything or nothing at all. When we felt like it, we would take long hikes, enjoying all that nature has to offer. We would grill for almost every meal- Jason loves playing with different spices and I love letting him cook! Our evenings would be spent, again, on the big porch- curled up together in a fuzzy blanket on a porch swing, with big glasses of sweet, red wine.

I feel relaxed just thinking about my imaginary vacation...maybe someday Jason will surprise me with this special trip! (O:

Dear Ebay...

Please stop being so awesome!

It is officially official...I have a problem. Hello, my name is Annie and I am addicted to Ebay. "Hi Annie".

It is bad, *really* bad. So bad, in fact, that I have my MIL and FIL helping me by hiding the packages until I can open them so my husband does not see them. If I were to get technical, I do not consider this lying to him as I usually show him what I have purchased...but when he sees multiple packages sitting there on any given day, he tends to give me trouble about it. I try to remind him how much money I am SAVING by getting these good deals, but he is never swayed. He just rolls his eyes and tells me it is not just because Emilia needs clothes, but I really enjoy it and I am addicted. Well, YES, that is all true! But what is so wrong with enjoying a good deal and finding adorable clothes for our little girl?? So, I basically just ignore his contention and keep going strong! (O:

So, I think I will retract my previous request, dear sweet friend Ebay...never stop being awesome! (O:

Does anyone hear that fluttering?

Well, today I am in a crummy mood. No reason, really. Just crummy. Last night I worked in the nursery at church and somehow managed to pull something in my back...so today has not been a fun day. The chiroractor managed to lessen the discomfort, but did not get rid of it completely.

Needless to say, I did not do day 1 of week 3 of C25K this morning and I never in a million years would have thought that I would be disappointed about NOT running...but I am! I really think this is part of what has thrown my mood off so bad. It is not that I am enjoying the actual running, but I do feel tiny little successes each time I finish a day's run/walk. I get excited when I think about toning out my yucky areas and the thought that I may actually lose this baby weight if I keep up with this and watch what I eat. So, when I could not run this morning, or bend over to dry my feet after my shower, for that matter, I was really bumming. I do not think I want to push myself to try and run tomorrow yet, either. Which is double disappointing. That means I will have to run Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for Week 3, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for Week 4, then I can get back to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday that I love.

OK- I ended up typing a lot more about that than I had intended to...I was just going to say that I am bumming hard core today and so I was going to wait until later this week to tell you how Awesomely Fabulous the baby shower went (I am waiting for the pictures from one of the girls that helped). But, I did want to tell you a funny story from yesterday morning...

Emilia slept in until about 7:30 (I love her!!) and then I went in and was playing with her on the floor of her room. I kept the door to the room open in case Grammy or Poppy woke up and wanted to come play too...well, I started hearing a flapping sound from the hallway. At first I thought maybe a bird was just right outside the window in the office, across the hall...but the more I heard it the more it sounded like it was inside! And, being the scaredy cat that I am, I just shut the door to Emilia's room and waited for someone else to wake up or for Poppy to get out of the shower, whichever would be first...When I heard Grammy open their bedroom door, I cracked Emilia's door and asked if she heard that. She snuck over to the office and peeked in and sure enough! A BIRD had gotten into the attic and flown down the stairs (that darn attic door never stays closed!) We both waited in our rooms with the doors closed until Poppy got out of the shower so he could catch it. (Meanwhile, my husband is sleeping on the downstairs couch and told me 'what do you want me to do about it?' when I told him what was going on...NICE). Poppy caught him in a towel and handed him off to Grammy to take outside. We set him free and he flew off, grateful to be away from our cat and dog, I am sure!

So, that was our eventful Sunday morning! Anything wonderful or exciting happen to you? (O:

9 Minutes...

That is exactly how long I have until my whirlwind of a weekend will commence...I know I have been rather absent the past few days (except for quick, nothing-to-them posts, I think I remember doing that...) My mind is a haze due to the all-consuming baby shower! I am excited for tomorrow to finally be here and I *REALLY* hope my sister-in-law loves her shower. I have done everything I can think to make it a day especially for her. I am nervous and anxious and a little scared, all at the same time.

I have been practicing my "Welcome" speech for DAYS now...you may think I am exaggerating, but sadly, I am not. I do not enjoy speaking in front of groups of people whatsoever, so I have been agonizing over the fact that as the shower-thrower, I will have to do so...I can see myself now- blotchy, red face and neck, sweaty armpits, racing heart, nervous bladder, the list goes on...I made myself nervous just thinking about it!

And now (after a quick run to the bathroom to change clothes...) I am off to set everything up!

I will try to take pictures and let you all know if I survive...(O:

Have a great weekend!

Arriba!

Today we threw a 'Boss Day Fiesta' and it was wonderful! My coworker brought in a bunch of fiesta decorations and we hung sombreros all around. We had a yummy taco bar and lots of delicious cheese dip! This is a bad time to work right next to the kitchen because I keep meandering out there and grazing the leftovers. So much for pairing my workout with good eating habits! (O: (Yes, yes, I know. National Boss Day is not until tomorrow, but our big wig doctors were all here today, thus we celebrated early.)

Speaking of my workout...C25K Week 2 Day 2 was not too bad. I was fighting myself every step of the way, but I made it to the basement and turned the treadmill on. Then there was no turning back, I did not want to be a quitter (even though I really wanted to quit!) I started praying for strength and encouragement and I got it! I made it through and added a couple extra 'VICTORY'-s to my usual chant. (O:

I am getting rather excited (as much as one can be about running...) about the Dec. 5 Gingerbread 5k! I just found out about two more friends that are running also! I think that brings the Girls Club group to 5, and 2 husbands! That means I REALLY cannot fail, I do not want to be the only one that does not make it!! (O:

I am really starting to get excited for the Holidays! Halloween in a couple weeks, with a fun costume party and trick-or-treating. Thanksgiving with my mom's family in the backwoods of Kentucky (my cousin is my uncle and stuff like that, seriously...OK, not that bad, but close!) BLACK FRIDAY!!! (Definitely a Holiday!) Man, if there was ever a good time for a sale, Black Friday is it! I used to ask off for this day and now I am so lucky! We are closed that day so I do not have to use any vacation time! (O: We will see how it goes this year...maybe J will keep Emilia home with him... Then, Christmas! So many family things going on around Christmas, I cannot wait!! (O: THEN, after New Years...LASIK for Annie!! (Hopefully!) I get it for free at my work since I have been here over a year. I am waiting until the beginning of next year because the type I am having will probably require about a week of recovery time. I am so excited!!! (O:

What are you looking forward to about the Holidays? (O:

Wishful Wednesday!

'I wish' .... I had one particular talent, and it would be to SING.

I am not talking about being a world famous, amazing singer or anything extravagant like that. I would really just love to be able to sing and not be embarrassed about it. I cannot carry a tune in a bucket! I probably do not have as bad of a voice as I allow myself to Think I have, but still. I love rocking out with my cell phone mic in my Momma-Minivan whenever I am alone, but I dread having to sing anywhere that the music will not be loud enough to muffle my sounds. I have even been known to mouth the words if I was worried someone might overhear me.

Is that not so sad? Do you feel sorry for the poor, pathetic, tuneless girl? Haha.

'Write That Down'

Yes, folks, it is time for another giveaway! I entered this one because I l.o.v.e. paper products! Kristin @ .:.Miss-Kriss.:. is hosting a giveaway for some custom made post cards and a $25 Starbucks gift card (Jaime, I know your ears just perked up!) (O:

I really enjoy Kristin's blog and I am excited about her giveaway! You should go check her out- even if you do not want to enter the giveaway, you will enjoy her blog! (O:

Hello Monday.

Well, that was a quick weekend. It was actually pretty good, I'm just in a little bit of a stinky mood this today, so I am having difficulty remembering the fun I had...

Saturday was a great shopping day! My mom and I drove out to Warrenton, MO to the some outlet malls. The Carter's store was not the best I have ever seen, but I still managed to spend a decent amount of money (haha). They had some good fall clearance and also some way clearance summer stuff that I purchased for next year. Gap was not that great either (sadly). BUT! They have these bags right now, their 'Eco Bags'. If you purchase one ($5, if I remember correctly), anytime you bring it in to use, now throuch Dec. 31, 2009- anything that will fit in there you get 10% off! Deal! ALSO~~ Nike did have some good deals! I purchased a couple dryfit tops for myself and 1 for J. I never thought it made a difference what I wore while running/walking...but man! Those babies are great! (O:

I spent most of the day Sunday washing all the new clothes I purchased for Emilia at the outlet mall and a couple presale yard sales...(O: Then, I tried to get through 9-12, 12-18, and 18-24 mos clothes to sort and make a list of what we have...I finished 18-24 and 12-18, but only made it about 1/2 through 9-12 before I needed to clean off the bed to watch Army Wives! (O: We did not make it to church Sunday night because J has been laid out sick all weekend! He is going to the doctor today at 2:10 because he still is not feeling better...So, instead of church, I worked on finalizing some stuff for my sister-in-law's shower, which is this Saturday. I *really* want to post pictures of the finished centerpieces, but I am paranoid that Amy may find this blog and it would ruin the surprise...so you will just have to wait until next week! (O:

This morning came too quickly and I definitely did NOT enjoy my run/jog/walk. Week 2 is OK so far...of course I only just did day one...so it may get worse, I suppose. Last week my friend Margo (the nonblogger) told me that the hardest part is putting your shoes on. She is so right! Once I had those dang shoes on, I knew I was going to go run even though every part of my being was screaming to go cuddle back into my bed. Even my victory chant did not work as well as usual. So, I am hoping Wednesday will go better...we shall see!

Did you all have a lovely weekend? Any big plans for the week?

Nice GLass! (O:

Hi all!

My newest blog friend, Kelsey @ The Seattle Smith's is hosting a fabulous giveaway! I just spent a little bit of time (not too long since I'm at work...) checking out the etsy site for FUNctional Objects for Everyday Life by tannerglass and I'm in love! This lady is a true artist. All her items are handblown and handcrafted to perfection. I am completely gaga (yes, I said GAGA) over her magnets/push pins! In the land of organization and secretarial-ness (new word), one can never have enough push pins or magnets!

These are my Favs, in case you are just dying to purchase me a gift (O:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24499166

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27184188

Go check out Kelsey's blog and tannerglass' etsy! You won't be sorry (O:

Unmatched but matching

C25K Week 1 is done!! I did day 3 this morning, and it was not the most pleasant thing ever. But, it is done and I said VICTORY! (O: For some reason, a whole bunch of (probably unused) muscles started complaining during my jogging/walking this morning. I think maybe I did not get enough sleep last night, so I started off wrong.

So, to try and lift my spirits, I wore a cute matchy matchy running outfit! (O: I used to always pick on J because he had to wear all one brand of clothing...if he had Nike shoes, he had to wear Nike pants and shirt (running apparel). He would not mix brands and I told him he was a snob. I still do not match my brands to run, but I can see where he is coming from now. There is something nice about having everything match. But, anyway.

Even though my brands did not match, the colors surely did! My running shoes are white with light blue and little hot pink accents. So, today I wore light blue shorts and a pink shirt. It was glorious and I know my treadmill was impressed.

Today was also the day I realized I need some new sports bras...the girls must have grown after I had Emilia...it was a little painful running this morning in an old-me-sized sports bra. (I know you were just DYING to hear about that) (O:

I decided to wait for an outdoor run until I am doing a little more running and a little less walking. Maybe next week I will do an outdoor run. I just like spending these first few in the privacy of the basement...no one there to judge me (except the treadmill, of course. And he is still in awe of my fabulous outfit, so he does not mind).

I hope you all have a great day! (I have another post to do yet...but it was completely unrelated to my running adventures, so it will have to wait!)

6 Months Ago...

I cannot believe that my little baby girl is already 6 months old! How did that happen?? It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital...man, time has really flown by! And it is only going to get quicker, I am sure!

Last night, I did a little impromtu photo shoot with her. ...OkOK, I guess it is not impromtu if I changed her clothes and added a hair bow, but whatever! She was in a great mood and we had a lot of fun. Enjoy! (O:

PS- I am thinking about entering her in the Gap Model Contest...do you guys like any of these for that, or should I shoot some of just her face? Thanks for the feedback! (O:

C25K W1D2

Hello friends!

This morning was day 2 of week 1 of Couch to 5K and I did it! I am actually very surprised I had the energy bc I was up from 4:00-4:45 with a certain little girl who, at first, was not hungry and then was hungry. So, after feeding her a bottle at 4:45, I realized that my alarm would be going off any minute anyway and I didn't go back to bed. (WOW, I know!) I just grabbed my running outfit, socks and shoes and got ready.

Today was actually a little better than Monday. I am sure Monday was a little rough just because it has been ages since I have done any sort of physical activity...but I was glad all the same! I have to count as I breathe to make sure I breathe in my nose and out my mouth. (I know it sounds silly, but up until I was a junior in high school, when I had my tonsils removed, I could not breathe through my nose. So, once I could, I still did not....thus, I have to actively think about doing so. ...Like you didn't already know I was weird!) Anyway, the 60 seconds of jogging seemed to go by quicker than the last time and it was almost harder to walk after jogging than it would have been to keep jogging. But, I'm a rule follower, so I did as the instructions suggest. And I didn't cheat this time either! I was on that puppy until 25 minutes had gone by. (O:

I think I have developed a rather humorous habit too...on Monday AND today after I finished, I threw my hands in the air and yelled 'Victory!' Haha, isn't that crazy?! But, I kinda like it and I think I'll continue to do it. It is like a tiny little victory every time, right? So, there ya have it. That is that.

Oh and our running group is growing! My friend Jaime mentioned something about running on FB and I commented that Dec. 5 will be here before we know it...and she's had several comments following. Including one from our other friend Margo (a non-blogger, but she likes to read ours) (O: She has been doing the C25K training and is on week 8. She has her first run this weekend! I'm so proud of her and it has given me encouragement that I CAN do this! I think she's going to sign up and run with Jaime and I in December!

12 Weeks to Christmas!! (O:

Thanks to Sonja @ For the Love of Stilettos for coming across and sharing this super fun idea! I am a Christmas LOVER and I think this TWOC idea is superb! What could be more fun than counting down the weeks to Christmas than sharing different parts of our holiday experiences with each other as we go! (O: You really should go check it out and join in the merriment!

Week 1's topic is Christmas List and Red Writing encourages everyone to be creative about what they choose to blog about. So, I have decided to make a list of all the "Firsts" of this Christmas! (O:

Of course, Emilia comes to mind with many Christmas Firsts, so I'll start there:

~This is, obviously, her first Christmas! That in and of itself is super exciting! I can't wait to see her interest in the Christmas tree and the sounds of crinkling paper when everyone is opening gifts. I'm hoping (PRAYING!) that our family doesn't go hog wild with stuffed animals or dolls....so maybe I should start dropping hints about educational toys now?

~I can't wait to drive E through Belleville's Way of Lights at the Shrine! My mom always took us as kids and I hope to continue the tradition with my little girl. (O:

~With Christmas (hopefully) comes snow! I love to imagine how Emilia will react to the cold, wet feeling of snow. I hope she loves it like her Momma!

~Santa!! I am really considering taking her to get her picture taken with Santa Claus at the mall! I know Jason will roll his eyes at the idea and I bet Jaime is already squirming in her seat (non-believer!), but I still think it would be fun! (O:

~The Christmas Stories. Yes, I said plural. I love the old Santa story and love to read that on Christmas Eve. But, I also want to read her the REAL Christmas Story, from the Bible. I want to make both of these part of our Christmas tradition.

~Her First Christmas Dress!! Haha, yes, I am actually this excited about this. I already have one or two to choose from and I can't wait! Don't judge me.

On to the rest of my "Firsts" list...

~This will be the first year since Jason and I were married that we won't have our own house. We sold our home in September and are living with his parents while we wait to see where J will get a job after he graduates. So, this is the first year I won't get to use all my wonderful SMORE'S ornaments to decorate our tree. I'm sure J is ecstatic about it (he doesn't like my SMORE'S, isn't that awful!), but I'm a little sad. At least I still have my mini-SMORE'S tree for at work!

~I actually know something I would like for Christmas in advance! I'm the worst at making a list for everyone to purchase from because I can't ever think of anything I'd like. I'm a pretty content person and so I struggle every year. Usually my list consists of State T-Shirts for my collection (I only need about 12 more to have 1 from every state in the US!) and scarves. BUT! This year is different! After careful consideration and many times of almost veering off the road looking for the right CD...I'm breaking down and asking for an iPod. HAHAHA. I know, I'm so lame and WAY outdated. But, that's what I want. I think J has already decided I'm getting to Big Boy newest one- the Touch iPod. He may be more excited about this than I am. (O:

~This is also the first Christmas in my entire life that I am not looking forward to the snow. *GASP* I know! In all actuality, I still am excited for the snow and the hustle&bustle that comes with it. The part I am not looking forward to is slipping and sliding around on black ice with a little baby girl in my arms (or in her pumkin seat, if she still fits). I'm worried about that and I'm worried about how bad drivers only get worse when the snow starts falling.

~This will also be our first family Christmas since Grandpa Oshall passed away. He is part of what kept us all together every year, we always made time for the Warren Family Christmas. I hope we will continue it in his absence. Also, before he passed away, he asked us to have a time at our family get together to sing some hymns. While I have never looked forward to this part of the Christmases past (I don't know very many hymns and no one wants to hear me singing anyway), this year is different. This year it's for Grandpa. I know it's going to be different this year. He won't be sitting in the rocker, watching his large, loud family enjoying each other's company. He won't be there to greet me with a smile and hug as every time before. Never again will he tell me that he's loved me from the first time we met, as so many times before. I know this will be an emotional Christmas for all of us. I hope we make him proud.

Whew....I'm sorry to have ended with a sad 'First'. Even though Grandpa Oshall is gone, I can still rejoice because I know he's in heaven watching us all the time. I wonder if he's met my Grams since he's been up there. *smiles through tears*

OK, seriously. Deep breath....

Now it's your turn! What's your Christmas List?? (O:

What's so wrong with the couch??

Why do we need to go from couch to 5K? Can't I just stay on my couch? Or under the covers in bed? Man, 4:47 a.m. came too early yesterday morning...aka Day 1 of Week 1 of C25K. But, I did it! Hopefully I can keep this up, I'm signing up for a 5k run in Belleville, called the Gingerbread 5K Run. It's December 5th- exactly 9 weeks from now. So, pretty much I can't screw up or I won't be ready. (no pressure, haha)

Week 1 isn't 'so bad' so far- 5 minute warm up, 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking, repeat for 20 minutes. And I think I may have accidentally cheated...I didn't have a watch on, so I was just looking at the time thing on my treadmill. I stopped when the timer got to 20 minutes, but I'm pretty certain I should have kept going until I reached 25 minutes, since the first 5 minutes were a walking warm up. I didn't realize it until half way through the day yesterday- I'm a cheater! I won't do it again, promise!

My dear, darling, trying-to-be-sweet husband told me this past weekend that the first 2 weeks are the easiest and I wouldn't even break a sweat during Week 1. Well, he is a liar! (haha) Not on purpose, of course, but it just wasn't true for me! I know he meant well, he was trying to be encouraging...but I definitely broke a sweat. This is coming from the girl that starts sweating just thinking about humidity or hot weather, so it's not really a shocker. Also, I could definitely tell it's been WAY too long since I've done any sort of exercise because I had all sorts of muscles that started to hurt a little while I ran...but I wasn't sore afterwards and I'm still doing OK today.

We'll see how I'm feeling after tomorrow!

Are any of you out there runners? Any advice you want to share with a newbie? Or even just encouragement to keep going! (O:

Black Monday

That title doesn't mean anything dark or sinister...it's simply the color scrubs I have on today. (O: We switched over to our fall/winter scrub colors on Oct. 1 and so this is the first full week of the new colors. Here's our new schedule (I'm sure you are DYING to know!)

Mon-Black

Tues-Olive

Wed-Brown

Thurs-Wine

Fri-Any

Sounds rather drab, doesn't it? I was able to find a few patterns and bright colors to wear underneath to help spruce up fall/winter, but oh well. There is only so much that can be done to spice up scrub...but no matter what, I am just loving that I get to wear PJ's to work everyday!

On to the Monday Morning Recap...it was BUSY weekend! Fun was had by all, and I'm officially spent. Let's start with Friday, shall we?

Friday night, my father-in-law wanted to check out the Chili Cookoff in Belleville, but my fuddy-dud husband and my mother-in-law wanted to stay home...so J went to the store and did his own chili cookoff. It was delicious and he won, hands down! (Of course, he was the only one that made anything, but it still counts as a win!)

Saturday started off super early- yard sale day! Woo Hoo! This is the neighborhood sale that I look forward to every year and I was looking forward to a great day. I had printed out the list of what each house would be selling and highlighted all the houses I wanted to hit. Then, I printed out plenty of copies of the map and marked where the port-a-potties were and also highlighted to streets on which the houses I wanted to visit were located. I got up in plenty of time and had everything ready and loaded in the van before Emilia woke up (always great when that happens!) So, my mother-in-law, Treasa, and I headed out to arrive at 7:00 a.m. We were meeting my mom and my cousin Jenna there and it was already packed when we arrived! Unfortunately, it wasn't as great as I was hoping and I only found a couple good deals. I think the problem was that there were SO MANY people this year and every house was picked over by the time we got there. It was like if you didn't go straight to the house you wanted to check out, you would miss out on the good deals. We kept seeing people walk by with what looked like great stuff, but we found only a few...I found more clothes for my nephew on the way than I did for Emilia...but I did get her some good books...(Check it out- The Little Engine That Could, brand new! woo hoo!) (O:

My other great deal of the day was this super cute bedding!

Yes, I realize that Emilia won't be able to use it for a few years yet, but I just fell in love with the fun, bright colors. This set is originally from Target, and the nice lady I purchased it from said that she never used it and it has only been washed once. I decided to go ahead and spend my $22.50 (She had $25 on it, I offered $20. She started by saying no, but when she realized I was going to walk away, she asked if we could meet half way. I thought that was fair.) (O: I think this will look so cute and fun in my little girl's room. And there are so many different colors to choose from. So no matter what her favorite color is by then, we can use any of these as the accent color for the room! You can't really see in this other picture, but the tread on each color block is the other colors of the quilt. LOVE.

After spending 5 1/2 hours at yard sale mania (holy moly!), we decided to call it a day. Treasa had taken Emilia home early because it was pretty cold. So, I had a lovely ride home with my cousin Jenna. She just married into our family this past July and I've had a ton of fun getting to know her. It turns out we are a lot alike and have similar pasts. She is such a blast!

After a couple hours at home, we headed out to meet our friends Jon and Jaime at the zoo! That was a lot of fun! It had warmed up a little by then and it was the perfect weather! All the animals were out and moving around, which was great! I kept imaginig the movie Madagascar as we walked around because some of the animals really seemed to be putting on a show for everyone! (O: Emilia is still too little to care about the animals, but she loved watching all the people go by. Just like her Momma, she's a people watcher and always wants to see the action. At one point, we all stopped to look at an animal and we had her stroller facing the fence with nothing to see. That was the only time during the whole trip that she whined at us...and it was because she couldn't see anyone! As soon as I turned her stroller around to face the walkway, she was fine! (O:

After THAT, J and I decided to hit up the St. Louis Mills Mall- lovely outlet stores galore! We went to Nike and I grabbed up a couple pieces of running attire that were at great clearance prices. I used my new running shorts and running shirt this morning on Day 1 of my C25K training...but I'll save that for a blog post later today. (O:

My best deal of the day was an adorable dress for Emilia! I've been eyeing this dress from Carter's fall line for weeks, but I couldn't bring myself to spend $24 on it...she didn't need it that bad. BUT, the Carter's outlet was having a big 50-70% off sale this past weekend and I scored! It was on sale for $10! Whoo hoo! I grabbed it up for next fall and almost purchased one for her to wear this year too...but I restrained myself. (O: Here it is, ladies and gents! (On the left)

Here's a close up of the pattern...I am not sure why I love it so much, but I do! (O:

The purple flower dress is another cutie that was only $6! I play a little game with Emilia where I let her pick out what she likes (not that she really knows what is going on...) I hold up two items and ask which she likes the best. She usually cooperates and grabs one or the other. This being the case with the purple dress. There was another dress that was the same just in different colors. J liked the purple one and I was favoring the other, so we let E decide. It had a couple of people behind me smiling and laughing as I taught my 6 month old fashionista how to bargain shop. (O:

Whew! There's my weekend in a (rather large) nutshell! Hope you all had a great weekend too! (O:

Feelin' the Love!

My new blog friend, Sonja @ For the Love of Stilettos has so graciously awarded me TWO (that's right, count 'em, TWO) awards! (First time being awarded, I feel so loved!) (O:

First, the fabulous blog award! Thanks girl! I, of course, think your's is super fabulous also!

According to the rules, I am supposed to tell you 5 things I'm obsessed with and then tag 5 more fabulous friends! (I don't think I actually HAVE 5 bloggy friends, pathetic I know, but I'll tag who I can!)

Soooo, here we go!

1. Lists! I love making lists- To Do Lits, Grocery Lists, any kind of list! In fact, I started a list yesterday of what I wanted to put as my obsessions...now That's obsessive! (O:

2. Bargain Shopping. I am definitely a bargain shopper and a good deal can make my whole day! This includes sales at retail stores, eBay shopping (absolutely addicted), and of course, yard sales! There's nothing like knowing I'm walking away with a steal of a deal! I also love when they tell me how much I "saved".

3. Reality TV...this is confession time. I love Reality TV and I can't help it! Until I got married, when my husband insisted on getting cable and DVR, I had never had cable and rarely watched TV. The only thing I watched were my FRIENDS DVD's (I'll get to that in a minute...) But now, I'm a hopeless mess. My current favs are America's Next Top Model, Survivor, and Project Runway! I have been known to also watch The Hill's, Real Housewives, etc...I just can't help myself!

4. The TV show FRIENDS! I have been over-the-top obsessively in love with this show since high school. I can quote basically any episode, line for line. Oh, and I can answer almost ANY trivia question about the show. I've actually been called by someone at a trivia night to answer the FRIENDS question round. (PS- Why haven't I ever been to a trivia night where FRIENDS was a round of questions?? I would actually know something for once!)

5. I L.O.V.E. Polka Dots! (Weird, I know...and probably not really an obsession, but it's the best I could come up with) I love them on purses, bows, shoes, shirts, clothes for Emilia, picture frames, etc. You name it, and if it's got polka dots on it, I love it!


On to my next award!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Thanks Sonja!)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

Alrighty, on to my list. *Caution* after reading this list, you will most likely think I'm weirder than you already think I am! ;-)

*When I eat candy, I divide it out and eat it by colors (Ex: Skittles, I eat all the greens together, reds, yellows, etc.)

*To make it worse, I always divide my food evenly on both sides of my mouth while eating. With candy, this means 1 piece on each side of my mouth at a time and with regular food I just make sure it's evenly divided.

*I enjoy people watching, and sometimes while doing so, I like to imagine what humming or singing noise each person might be making. Not like which theme song is theirs, but what humming noise (like, Dum da dum da dum...) (Sorry, hard to explain, but really weird.)

*Meeting new people scares the crap out of me. I love making new friends and getting to know people, but I stink at small talk and break out in cold sweats when I can't think of anything to talk about!

*When I was in high school and college, I was in several plays and even on the school's speech team. Now, I can't even address a group of 4-5 people without turning completely red in the face. What has happened to me???

*The giraffe is my favorite animal. Did you know they have the same number of vertebrae as humans? It's science. Write that down.

*My dream job is being someone's personal assistant. I would love to completely plan someone's day-to-day life, take care of their schedule and keep them on track. I know I would do a good job of it, so someone just hire me to do it already! (O:

Whew! That wasn't so bad! And I didn't even write down my list before I posted them, look at me go! Haha.

Since I have a select number of ladies to tag...I'll just tag you, friends, and you may decide which award (or both) you'd like to claim! Enjoy! (O:

~Jaime @ Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: My first official blog friend (and one of my closest friends in real life). She's the one who encouraged me to start blogging and for a while was my only follower...haha, thanks friend! (O:

~Jillian @ I still take out the trash: A life-long friend whom I love. She's so crafty and creative. She's my inspiration to *try* and be creative. (Ha)

~Erin @ Flasch'n & Laughin': This is my (real life) friend who can always make me smile! She just started her blog a couple weeks ago (at Jaime's prompting...she must be a blog recruiter or something!) and I'm really enjoying her posts.

~Jennie @ Diehl With It!: This is an old college friend that I came back into contact with thanks to Facebook (haha)! She's newer to blogging too, but I love to catch up on her life when she posts.

That's all for now, kiddos. Enjoy! (O:

To Quack or Le Pew?

With Halloween quickly approaching, I am having to make a big decision!

Last year, when I was still pregnant, and before we knew our baby's gender, I purchased two adorable costumes- a duck and a skunk. I just figured I would dress her up in both for some pictures and take her to see her Grandma (the one we don't live with) and then call it a day.

But now, I'm helping throw a Halloween party where costumes are highly encouraged...

My husband isn't all about the merriment, and the only way I could get him to agree to dressing up was by telling him that we would go as a family theme. He knows what costumes we have for Emilia and suggested that he and I go as farmers with a little baby duck. My struggle is that I am in LOVE with the skunk costume, I just think it would be so CUTE...so, I need some help.

Should we be farmers with a baby duck or hillbillies with a pet skunk??? (Yes, I'm aware that neither of these ideas are very creative, but I don't really want to purchase a THIRD costume for E to fit a better theme...so work with me!) (O:

What's your vote? Quack or Le Pew?

Hello Girl's Night In!

Jason's parents are going to be out of town until late tonight or tomorrow morning and Jason has class, which means...Girls Night for Annie and Emilia! Woo hoo!

I've already started planning out our evening (haha). It will include catching up on America's Next Top Model (LOVE IT!) and maybe a chick flick too! I'm also planning on putting together the centerpieces for my sister-in-law's upcoming baby shower. That's something I can work on while enjoying a night full of girly drama and skinny models. (O:

I don't even have to cook- I can eat cereal for dinner if I want! I know we've got leftovers too, so that's a bonus. Not that I mind pulling my weight and taking turns cooking dinner, but yay for not having to cook for anyone but myself!

In case you can't tell, I'm stoked about this. It's been quite a while since I've had any time without anyone else around and I have missed that! I'm surprised, because I'm such a people person, I never would have guessed it, but man, sometimes I just need to be all alone! (Emilia doesn't count, obviously) (O:

I've planned a busy weekend for my little family, but I'm looking forward to it! Saturday starts off early with another neighborhood yard sale (Yes, pink bags included!) (O: Jason's going to finish up some homework while Emilia and I look for great deals with some family and friends. Then, that afternoon, we have tenative plans to take E to the zoo. I know she's too young to have any idea what's going on, but she loves to watch people and is so curious about everything. So, I think she'll enjoy herself even if she doesn't know which is the giraffe and which is the zebra. (O: Our cousins have invited us to check out the Taste of St. Louis with them that evening, but since Emilia has trouble if we deviate from her eating/sleeping schedule, we will probably have to pass on that. :-( Everyone's been talking about this event and I was really interested in going. Oh well, maybe next year!

Depending on the weather, I may try and sneak up to the neighborhood park on Sunday morning with Emilia for a photo shoot. (O: She's the most fun and active in the early morning, so I'm thinking that might work. I've been browsing through photos online to get some ideas and these are the things I'm considering bring with us- some sort of woven basket that she can sit or lay in/on, a bright colored balloon, a blanket or two, a couple outfits and probably a few fav toys to keep her interested. The park itself is very pretty, so I don't really need all that much extra, but I like to be prepared. (O: I purchased a fluffy tutu at a yard sale last weekend, I think I may see if I can rig it to fit her (I think it's for a toddler, not a 6month old, if I remember correctly). Wouldn't that be so cute for pics!

Sunday night, is the Edge, of course. Last week we brought Emilia in for the closing songs and she loved it! Her little legs were kicking 100 miles a minute (which is a good sign that she's enjoying herself). I was worried it might be too loud for her bc she doesn't like loud noises. But, she did great! So, I might do that again this week.

That's our weekend, so far. Looks like a good one, ay? How's your weekend shaping up? Anything fun or exciting planned?